Hi m HIV positive m gonna start the odimune n supplement called activovite so m afraid of side effects and l'd like to xctly when shuld l take them after meal n at the same time.Now that m going to start the treatment shuld l use a condom with my husband or not....

Response from Dr. Young

Hello and thanks for posting.

Odimune (a generic version of Atripla) should be taken preferable on an empty stomach and around bed time. The empty stomach requirement is subjective, but taking the medication with food can increase some of the potential for side effects, so I typically tell people who start on this medication to try to not eat prior to going to sleep.

You could certainly take the Odimune and the multivitamin (Activovite) together.

As for condom use, I would continue to recommend using condoms at least until your viral load is known to be undetectable; recommendations from the British HIV Association today note that being adherent to medications and having an undetectable HIV viral load is as effective as condom use, so with appropriate monitoring of your health and HIV labs, this could be an option for you.

I'd be sure to discuss this with your care provider- someone who will have additional knowledge about your (and perhaps your husband's) health details.

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